How 80s was 1980?  Was it still pretty much the 70s the way 2000 is still kinda 90s and 1990 is kinda 80s?  I know some popular New Wave songs came out then but you still had disco and 70s fashion. 

1980 still had a creepy 70s vibe about it.

In 1980 I was 9 years old.
I dont remember the 80's really becoming until about 83-84.
Anything prior to that was still the 70's IMO

Tam

I kinda think the first year of a decade is usually more like the decade that just ended than the one that just begun, because all the people in that year have to look back on that's recent is from the previous decade.  Would you agree, Sputnik?  Also, the stuff I've seen/heard from 1980-82 has a creepy, dark vibe to it, like the 70s without its essence.  I think of low angles, simple insults, new VCRS, fuzzed out TVs, kinda the atmosphere a 6-year-old would see.  Was it like that?

Also, Sputnikcorp, I'd like to thank you for being polite about answer my dumb questions.  :)

I kinda think the first year of a decade is usually more like the decade that just ended than the one that just begun, because all the people in that year have to look back on that's recent is from the previous decade.  Would you agree, Sputnik?  Also, the stuff I've seen/heard from 1980-82 has a creepy, dark vibe to it, like the 70s without its essence.  I think of low angles, simple insults, new VCRS, fuzzed out TVs, kinda the atmosphere a 6-year-old would see.  Was it like that?

Also, Sputnikcorp, I'd like to thank you for being polite about answer my dumb questions.  :)


no prob. afterall, there's no dumb questions, just dumb people...every new decade has the the previous decades 'feel'. this decade even, up to about '02 it felt like it was still the 90s.

no prob. afterall, there's no dumb questions, just dumb people...every new decade has the the previous decades 'feel'. this decade even, up to about '02 it felt like it was still the 90s.


Yes it did.  But it wasn't much like the meat of the 90s, it was more 1999ish.  I guess I know what the 80s people are talking about when they're like, well ... i guess 1991 was the 80s.  I mean 2000, hell even 2002 wasn't much different from 1998 but I could name so many ways it was not like 1995. Although the 90s seem to date better than the 80s did (I wasn't around, but it seems like in the 80s stuff became outdated and campy in 3 years). Today though I suppose is still a bit like 1999, but I think this decade has kicked in.  I mean in the 90s there was plenty of hip-hop, but today it saturates every aspect of pop culture.  Even in 1999 when I lived in Montana it was stuff like Limp Bizkit and country music that was around all the time, along with some early numetal and post-grunge.  Besides Eminem I barely knew of any rap (but I was 9). Some rap but nothing compared to today.  Hip Hop didn't became the mainstream b*tch it is today until about 2001 or 2002. 

Today started in 2001 with Bush and 9-11 and all that crap  :( and was completely here by 2003-04.

To me, the 1980's officially began at midnight on August 1, 1981 with the debut of MTV.  :)

I'd say around 82 the styles started to slowly kick in..
By then pants had the tappered leg,high cut running shoes started becoming popular and some people started using gel in their hair..But I don't think it was until around 84 until it kicked in full force..like the bigass hair and what not.

To me, the 1980's officially began at midnight on August 1, 1981 with the debut of MTV.  :)

You must be trippin' if you think they began after Jan 1st, 1980. After all, that was the first day that we began saying "eighty" for the year. ::) ::) ::)

1980 was a great year!  I remember it well!!  8)

1980 was a great year!  I remember it well!!  8)
I do as well, Karen :) I also remember that all six Doors studio albums went multi-platinum that year :)

Well,I guess in 1980 disco was dying out and the music became more of an old school rap sound.



Howard

I would tend to agree that MTV had a big influence on the styles of the 80's, but not until cable television become more readily available to more areas of the country and cable providers actually carried MTV. It seems that the 80's ideals first started in the larger urban areas(more prevelant on the west coast?) then spread throughout the nation. I believe it peaked about about 86-87.
BTW, I graduated in 1980 and it really did seem to still have a 70's feel.

My favorite 1980 movie -Caddyshack
songs-Pat Benatar-Hit me with your best shot
both are 100%  80`s style

1 9 8 0 - A YEAR THAT WAS EXACTLY 25 YEARS AGO


UK Number 1 Albums Of 1980

12 Jan - Abba, Greatest Hits Volume 2 (1)
19 Jan - Pretenders, Pretenders (4)
16 Feb - Various Artists Compilation (Motown), The Last Dance (2)
01 Mar - Shadows, String Of Hits (3)
22 Mar - Johnny Mathis, Tears And Laughter (2)
05 Apr - Genesis, Duke (2)
19 Apr - Rose Royce, Greatest Hits (2)
03 May - Sky, Sky 2 (2)
17 May - Boney M, The Magic Of Boney M (2)
31 May - Paul McCartney, McCartney II (2)
14 Jun - Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel (2)
28 Jun - Roxy Music, Flesh And Blood (1)
05 Jul - Rolling Stones, Emotional Rescue (2)
19 Jul - Queen, The Game (2)
02 Aug - Deep Purple, Deepest Purple (1)
09 Aug - AC/DC, Back In Black (2)
23 Aug - Roxy Music, Flesh And Blood (3)
13 Sep - Gary Numan, Telekon (1)
20 Sep - Kate Bush, Never For Ever (1)
27 Sep - David Bowie, Scary Monsters And Super Creeps (2)
11 Oct - Police, Zenyatta Mondatta (4)
08 Nov - Barbra Streisand, Guilty (2)
22 Nov - Abba, Super Trouper (9; year's biggest seller)


UK Number 1 Singles Of 1980

19 Jan - The Pretenders, Brass In Pocket (2)
02 Feb - The Specials, The Special AKA Live! (EP) (2)
16 Feb - Kenny Rogers, Coward Of The County (2)
01 Mar - Blondie, Atomic (2)
15 Mar - Fern Kinney, Together We Are Beautiful (1)
22 Mar - The Jam, Going Underground/Dreams Of Children (3)
12 Apr - The Detroit Spinners, Working My Way Back To You (2)
26 Apr - Blondie, Call Me (1)
03 May - Dexy's Midnight Runners, Geno (2)
17 May - Johnny Logan, What's Another Year (2)
31 May - Mash, Theme From MASH (Suicide Is Painless) (3)
21 Jun - Don McLean, Crying (3)
12 Jul - Olivia Newton-John & The Electric Light Orchestra, Xanadu (1)
26 Jul - Odyssey, Use It Up And Wear It Out (2)
09 Aug - Abba, The Winner Takes It All (2)
23 Aug - David Bowie, Ashes To Ashes (2)
06 Sep - The Jam, Start (1)
13 Sep - Kelly Marie, Feels Like I'm In Love (2)
27 Sep - The Police, Don't Stand So Close To Me (4; year's biggest seller)
25 Oct - Barbra Streisand, Woman In Love (3)
15 Nov - Blondie, The Tide Is High (2)
29 Nov - Abba, Super Trouper (3)
20 Dec - John Lennon, (Just Like) Starting Over (1)
27 Dec - St Winifred's School Choir, There's No-One Quite Like Grandma (2)


US Number 1 Singles Of 1980

05 Jan - KC & The Sunshine Band, Please Don't Go
19 Jan - Michael Jackson, Rock With You
16 Feb - Captain & Tennille, Do That To Me One More Time
23 Feb - Queen, Crazy Little Thing Called Love
22 Mar - Pink Floyd, Another Brick In The Wall Part 2
19 Apr - Blondie, Call Me
31 May - Lipps Inc, Funkytown
28 Jun - Paul McCartney & Wings, Coming Up
19 Jul - Billy Joel, It's Still Rock N Roll To Me
02 Aug - Olivia Newton-John, Magic
30 Aug - Christopher Cross, Sailing
06 Sep - Diana Ross, Upside Down
04 Oct - Queen, Another One Bites The Dust
25 Oct - Barbra Streisand, Woman In Love
15 Nov - Kenny Rogers, Lady
27 Dec - John Lennon, (Just Like) Starting Over


NME Albums 1980

1. Closer - Joy division
2. Get happy - Elvis Costello
3. I just can't stop it - The beat
4. Sinsemilla - Black uhuru
5. Movies - Holger Czukay
6. Remain in light - Talking heads
7. Crocodiles - Echo and the bunnymen
8. Borderline - Ry Cooder
9. Scary monsters - David Bowie
10. Searching for the young soul rebels - Dexys midnight runners
11. Sound affects - The jam
12. The river - Bruce Springsteen
13. Signing off - UB40
14. The correct use of soap - Magazine
15. Songs the lord taught us - The cramps
16. Laughter - Ian Dury & the blockheads
17. Night passage - Weather report
18. Grace and danger - John Martyn
19. Empires and dance - Simple minds
20. Suicide - Suicide
21. Uprising - Bob Marley & the Wailers
22. Warm thoughts - Smoky robinson
23. Colossal youth - Young marble giants
24. Printemps au paris - Public image ltd.
25. Voice of America - Cabaret Voltaire
26. Warm leatherette - Grace Jones
27. Die kleinen und die bosen - D.A.F.
28. Soldier - Iggy pop
29. Toots live - Toots and the maytals
30. Growing up in public - Lou Reed
31. Doc at the radar station - Captain Beefheart
32. More Specials - The Specials
33. Cultosaurus Erectus - Blue Oyster Cult
34. Kilimanjaro - The teardrop explodes
35. Blues for the fisherman - Milcho Leviev & Art Pepper
36. Shiny beast - Captain Beefheart
37. Nobody’s perfect
38. Hotter than July - Stevie Wonder
39. Snap Crackle & Bop - John Cooper Clarke
40. Bass Culture - Linton Kwesi Johnson
41. Organisation - Orchestral manoeuvres in the dark
42. Countrymen - The Twinkle Brothers
43. Freedom of choice - Devo
44. Are you glad to be in America - James blood Ulmer
45. Diana - Diana Ross
46. Shadows and light - Joni Mitchell
47. Kaleidoscope - Siouxsie and the banshees
48. Waiting for a miracle - Comsat angels
49. Heartattack and vine - Tom Waits
50. Changes - Etta James

Also Mentioned
• Real people - Chic
• Gyrate - Pylon
• Off the coast of me - Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• Absolutely Madness - Madness
• Black sea - XTC
• Travelogue - The Human league
• Return of the durutti column - Durutti column
• In performance - Donny Hathaway
• Phantom tracks - Roy Loney
• The long riders - Ry Cooder
• Deguello - ZZ Top
• The art of walking - Pere Ubu
• Night in the ruts - Aerosmith
• Jeopardy - The sound
• Rev up - The Revillos
• Betrayal - Jah Wobble
• Orchestral manoeuvres in the dark - Same
• Cristina - same
• Do animals believe in god - Pink military
• Boy - U2
• Peter Gabriel - (3)
• Argybargy - Squeeze
• Taking liberties - Elvis Costello
• Commercial Album - The Residents


NME Singles 1980

1. Love will tear us apart - Joy division
2. Going underground - The jam
3. Mirror in the bathroom - The beat
4. Atmosphere - Joy division
5. Ashes to ashes - David Bowie
6. Your cassette pet - Bow wow wow
7. Private life - Grace Jones
8. Fashion - David Bowie
9. C30 C60 C90 go - Bow wow wow
10. Master blaster - Steve Wonder
11. Treason - Teardrop explodes
12. Geno - Dexys midnight runners
13. Start! - The jam
14. Food for thought/King - UB40
15. New Amsterdam EP - Elvis Costello
16. Shack up - A certain ratio
17. Rescue - Echo and the bunnymen
18. My way of thinking - UB40
19. The breaks - Kurtis Blow
20. Stand down Margaret/Best friend - The beat
21. I can't stand up for falling down - Elvis Costello
22. Drug train - The cramps
23. Fiery jack - The fall
24. Dance stance - Dexies midnight runners
25. Johnny & Mary - Robert Palmer
26. Hands off .. she's mine - The beat
27. My flamingo - The subterraneans
28. A song from under the floorboards - Magazine
29. Independence day - Comsat angels
30. My perfect cousin - The undertones
31. Runaway boys - The stray cats
32. At last I am free - Robert Wyatt
33. Looking for clues - Robert Palmer
34. There, there my dear - Dexys midnight runners
35. My girl - Madness
36. Another nail in my heart - Squeeze
37. Flight - A certain ratio
38. Diet/It’s obvious - The Au pairs
39. Funkin’ for Jamaica - Tom Browne
40. Seconds to late - Cabaret Voltaire
41. I’m coming out - Diana Ross
42. Hi-Fidelity - Elvis Costello
43. Warrior charge - Aswad
44. Love comes in spurts - Richard Hell
45. Edward fox - Smack
46. Don’t stand so close to me - The Police
47. Hello I’m your heart - Bette Bright
48. Rise and shine - Linx
49. Happy house - Siouxsie and the banshees
50. Dog eat dog - Adam and the ants

Also Mentioned
• Cartrouble - Adam and the ants
• Kings of the wild frontier - Adam and the ants
• Baltimore - Tamlins
• Lovely one - The Jacksons
• Rapp Payback - James Brown
• Three mantras - Cabaret Voltaire
• Bankrobber/The callup - The Clash
• Keep it up part 2 - Dexys Midnight Runners
• Elastic man - The Fall
• Holiday ‘80 EP - The Human League
• There goes Concorde again - The Native Hipsters
• Let me talk - Earth, Wind & Fire
• Kebabtraume - D.A.F.
• Politics - Girls at our best
• You gave me love - Crown hights affair
• Blue boy/ Falling and laughing - Orange Juice
• Enola Gaye - Orchestral manoeuvres in the dark
• Radio drill time - Josef K
• Whip it - Devo
• Requiem - Killing joke
• Hunter gets captured by the game - Grace Jones
• Soul Kiss - Chris Stamey
• Arauco - Robert Wyatt
• Final day - Young marble giants
• Hi-Fidelity - Elvis Costello
• I want to be straight - Ian Dury
• Stereotype - The Specials
• Let’s get serious - Jermaine -Jackson
• Cheap Sunglasses - ZZ Top
• Talk of the town - Pretenders
• Seven minutes to midnight - Wah! heat
• Heyday - The sound


NME Readers Poll 1980

• Album - Jam "Sound Affects"
• Bass - Bruce Foxton
• Best Dressed LP - Jam "Sound Affects"
• Best Dressed Person - Adam Ant
• Discjockey - John Peel
• Drums - Rick Buckler
• Event Of The Year - Death Of John Lennon
• Female Singer - Siouxsie Sioux
• Film - The Elephant Man
• Guitar - Paul Weller
• Haircut Of The Year - Eugene Reynolds
• Klutz/Creep Of The Year - Margaret Thatcher
• Male Singer - Paul Weller
• Most Wonderful Humanbeing - Paul Weller
• New Group/Most Promising - UB40
• Other Instruments - Saxa (Saxophone)
• Piano/Keyboards - Dave Greenfield
• Single - Jam "Going Underground"
• Songwriter - Paul Weller
• TV Show - Not The Nine O'clock News
• Vocal Group - Jam


Melody Maker Albums 1980

1. Remain in light - Talking heads
• Get Happy - Elvis Costello
• Pretenders - The pretenders
• Vienna - Ultravox
• Searching for the young soul rebels - Dexy's midnight runners
• Crocodiles - Echo & the bunneymen
• Closer - Joy division
• Scary monsters - David Bowie
• Boy - U2
• Empires & dance - Simple minds
• Kings of the wild frontier - Adam and the ants
• Sandinista - The Clash
• Absolutely - Madness

Note: Melody Maker Only Named a No. 1 album that year, The rest were listed in no order. No Singles List.


Melody Maker Readers Poll 1980

Best Single - Another Brick In Wall (part II), Pink Floyd
Best Album - The Wall, Pink Floyd
Band Of The Year - Genesis
Best Female Singer - Kate Bush
Best Male Singer - Peter Gabriel
Brightest Hope - Saxon
Disco Single - Upside Down, Diana Ross
Reggae Act - Bob Marley and the Wailers
Guitar - Ritchie Blackmore
Bass - Mike Rutherford
Drums - Phil Collins
Live Act - Genesis
TV Show - The Old Grey Whistle Test


Grammy Awards 1980 For 1979

Record Of The Year - Doobie Brothers, What A Fool Believes
Album Of The Year - Billy Joel, 52nd Street
Best Female Pop Vocal - Dionne Warwick, I'll Never Love This Way Again
Best R&B Male Performace - Michael Jackson, Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough
Best Pop Vocal Group Performance - Billy Joel, 52nd Street
Best New Artists - Ricky Lee Jones
Best Female Rock Vocal Performance - Donna Summer, Hot Stuff
Song Of The Year - Doobie Brothers, What A Fool Believes
Best Male Rock Vocal Performance - The Eagles, Heartache Tonight
Best Disco Album - Gloria Gaynor, I Will Survive
Best Female Country Performance - Emmylou Harris, Blue Kentucky Girl


No BPI Awards that year.

I guess the eighties hit UK before US.

I remember back in the day, either the late 80s or early-mid 90s when I was a kid, if anyone my around my age or younger said we thought the early 80s looked like the 70s, people that were teenagers in the early 80s really freaked out.  You think we get annoyed that you call 1991 the 80s?  At least we act normal and take the time to explain things to you. 

But my God a typical older Gen Xer person born in the 60s wanted to KILL US if we said 1980 was still the 70s, because they wanted no part of the 1970s and the 70s were considered such a joke for the longest time.

I remember back in the day, either the late 80s or early-mid 90s when I was a kid, if anyone my around my age or younger said we thought the early 80s looked like the 70s, people that were teenagers in the early 80s really freaked out. You think we get annoyed that you call 1991 the 80s? At least we act normal and take the time to explain things to you.

But my God a typical older Gen Xer person born in the 60s wanted to KILL US if we said 1980 was still the 70s, because they wanted no part of the 1970s and the 70s were considered such a joke for the longest time.


I LOVE the 80s, but you got to admit it, they really were a joke.  ;D

BUMP

Like I said before, it seems to me that 1979-82 was a very transitional time, so really 1980 could kinda make the case either way. I won't say '80 is like the "main" 70's (roughly 1971-75), but the late 70's were pretty much the same as 1980, from all I've observedl.

MTV wasn't yet around, and country/pop, as well as ballads from Christopher Cross and the like were big hits, so that was still late 70's-like, to me.

I'd say 1983 (and to a degree, '82) was the first real year of the 80's. Politically, '80 was still like the 70's -- Reagan (who stayed in office a full 8 years - comprising practically the entire decade) wasn't sworn in until January '81, so in 1980, you still had Jimmy Carter.

BUMP

Like I said before, it seems to me that 1979-82 was a very transitional time, so really 1980 could kinda make the case either way. I won't say '80 is like the "main" 70's (roughly 1971-75), but the late 70's were pretty much the same as 1980, from all I've observedl.

MTV wasn't yet around, and country/pop, as well as ballads from Christopher Cross and the like were big hits, so that was still late 70's-like, to me.

I'd say 1983 (and to a degree, '82) was the first real year of the 80's. Politically, '80 was still like the 70's -- Reagan (who stayed in office a full 8 years - comprising practically the entire decade) wasn't sworn in until January '81, so in 1980, you still had Jimmy Carter.


Really I think the 80s started about as quickly as the Zero Decade did, but the 80s had a sharp flavor the 2000s lacks.  Not that the 2000s isn't distinct, but a lot of the pop culture seems to just be "comebacks" of things from the 80s and 90s. 

1982 imo is totally eighties.  1980 is more 70ish and 1981 really draws the line.  About the same for the 90s really.  When I hear "1980" I generally think of it as being more like 1978 than 1982, but of course in 1980 it would be ten years before I was born.